Don't make these breakfast mistakes

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Photos:Photos: 15 superfoods for fall

The weather is getting cooler, but your produce choices are heating up. These amazing superfoods, picked by our friends at Health.com, are either hitting their peak in the garden or can easily be found in your local farmers market or grocery store. They're the perfect excuse to get cooking on cool nights!

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Photos:Photos: 15 superfoods for fall

Apples: Sweet or tart, apples are satisfying eaten raw or baked into a delicious dish. Just be sure to eat the skin; it contains heart-healthy flavonoids.

Turnips: Tender and mild, these root vegetables are a great alternative to radishes and cabbage. To flavor these veggies, use fennel, bread crumbs or even brown sugar. Turnip leaves, which taste like mustard leaves, are easy to cook and dense in nutrients.

Health benefits include• The roots are a good source of vitamin C • Turnip leaves are an excellent source of vitamins A, K and folate

Harvest season: September to April

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Photos:Photos: 15 superfoods for fall

Cauliflower: The sweet, slightly nutty flavor of cauliflower is perfect for winter side dishes. It's wonderful steamed, but it can also be blended to create a mashed potato-like texture or pureed into soup.

Health benefits include• Compounds that may help to prevent cancer • Phytonutrients may lower cholesterol• Excellent source of vitamin C

Harvest season: September to June

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Photos:Photos: 15 superfoods for fall

Squash: Unlike summer squash, winter squash has a fine texture and a slightly sweet flavor. Because of its thick skin, it can be stored for months. It tastes best with other fall flavorings, like cinnamon and ginger.

Pumpkin: A type of winter squash, pumpkin can be used for much more than jack-o'-lanterns. Its sweet taste and moist texture make it ideal for pies, cakes and even pudding!

Health benefits include• Rich in potassium • More than 20% of your DRI of fiber • Good source of B vitamins Harvest season: October to February

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Photos:Photos: 15 superfoods for fall

Sweet potatoes: These veggies are for much more than Thanksgiving casseroles. They're more nutritionally dense than their white-potato counterparts. Try roasting them; they'll taste delicious, and you may maintain more vitamins than boiling.

Rutabaga: A cross between a turnip and a cabbage, rutabagas are a popular Swedish dish. To utilize their earthy flavor, add them to casseroles, puree them with turnips and carrots to make a sweet soup or roast them with ginger, honey or lemon. Health benefits include• Good source of fiber • Good source of vitamin C Harvest season: October to April

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Photos:Photos: 15 superfoods for fall

Pomegranates: This slightly sour fruit has gotten a lot of press as an antioxidant powerhouse. The juice provides a tangy base for marinades, and the seeds can be tossed into salads to amp up the flavor.

Grapefruit: The signature tartness of grapefruit provides a contrast to other citrus fruit. Add it to mixed greens, combine it with avocado and shrimp or enjoy a fresh glass of its antioxidant-rich juice.

Health benefits include• More than 75% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C • Good source of lycopene • Contains pectin, which has been shown to lower cholesterol Harvest season: September to April

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Photos:Photos: 15 superfoods for fall

Tangerines: The small and sweet citrus fruits are positively refreshing for fall recipes. Our favorite flavor combos include almonds, dates and honey. Juice them with oil, vinegar and ginger for a to-die-for dressing.

Health benefits include• Good source of vitamin C • Good source of beta-carotene

Harvest season: November to April

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Story highlights

Forgoing breakfast may seem like a calorie-saver, but it can actually be a fat trap

"Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper" holds up

Breakfast kick starts your metabolism for the day, so you don't want to mess that up. Here are the top four breakfast mistakes I see, plus how to fix each one.

The mistake: you skip it to save calories

Forgoing breakfast may seem like a calorie-saver, but it can actually be a fat trap. Researchers at Imperial College London found that when people went without an a.m. meal, their brain reward centers lit up when they were shown images of high-calorie foods. That means turning down treats becomes harder, and you're likely to make up for the missed calories (and then some) with junkier choices later in the day, when it's tougher to burn them off.

The makeover

Commit to eating something every morning. If time is an issue, stash a healthy energy bar containing fruit in your bag.

The mistake: you turn to high-carb foods for energy

Grabbing a blueberry muffin with your coffee may not seem so bad, but a typical bakery muffin packs more added sugar than you should have for the entire day—a staggering 44 grams. According to the American Heart Association, women should top out at about 24 grams of added sugar daily (that's 6 teaspoons' worth).

The makeover

You don't have to completely avoid sugar if you need a jolt to get going. Chop up one tasting square of dark chocolate and mix it into your oatmeal. (I use this trick in my overnight oats recipe, at right.) Also, make fruit your friend: Blend up a smoothie or fold fruit into yogurt or oatmeal. You can also top toast with mashed avocado or almond butter, then slices of fresh figs or pears.

The mistake: you're eating healthy but missing produce

Only 8 percent of Americans eat the recommended amount of fruit each day (2 cups, for a moderately active woman) and just 6 percent hit the mark for veggies (3 cups), according to a report from Produce for Better Health Foundation. So even if you have a nutritious egg-on whole-wheat sandwich in the morning, not fitting in some produce may keep you from reaching the daily goal.

The makeover

Get at least one serving at breakfast by grabbing a piece of fruit before you head out the door. For more, add vegetables to an omelet or put greens in a smoothie.

The mistake: your breakfast is too skimpy

Being pressed for time is one of the main reasons women don't eat enough in the morning. But the expression "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper" holds up. Researchers in Israel found that overweight women who ate more calories at breakfast and fewer at dinner lost more weight and had greater waistline reductions than those who flipped the numbers, even when total daily calories were the same.

The makeover

Aim for a combo of lean protein, healthy fat and good carbs in every breakfast. Instead of just yogurt, add in nuts and fruit. Bottom line: If you work normal hours, your dinner should never pack twice as many calories as breakfast.